Karstens in relief bails out Pirates, 3-2

Jun 11, 2009 - 3:26 AM
By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA(AP) -- On a day when he was going to start, Jeff Karstens
started out in the Pittsburgh bullpen.

He wasn't there long.

Karstens entered in relief after the pitcher who replaced him in
the rotation, Charlie Morton, left the game with a tight left
hamstring. The former starter gave up only one run in 4 2-3
innings, leading the Pirates past the Atlanta Braves 3-2 on
Wednesday night.

"I did what I had to do to save the bullpen," Karstens said.
"I'm used to throwing a lot."

Adam LaRoche had two RBIs and Craig Monroe pulled off some nifty
baserunning to score a crucial run for the Pirates, who snapped
a three-game losing streak and denied Atlanta its first
four-game winning streak of the season.

Morton was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis to start against
his former team, but the Pirates right-hander lasted only one
inning. Karstens (3-4) took over and didn't allow a run until
the sixth.

Asked if he expected to be called in so soon, Karstens quipped,
"I don't think my arm expected it."

LaRoche put the Pirates ahead in the third against Jair Jurrjens
(5-4), driving in a run with a forceout. Jason Jaramillo made it
2-0 with a two-out single.

After Atlanta closed to 2-1 on a near-homer by Brian McCann,
Monroe's heads-up play on the base paths restored the two-run
lead. He led off the seventh as a pinch-hitter and was grazed by
Eric O'Flaherty's pitch. Monroe moved up on a groundout and was
still at second with two outs when LaRoche hit a hard shot up
the middle.

Second baseman Kelly Johnson made a diving stop and flipped to
shortstop Yunel Escobar, trying for a force at second. The toss
was late and Monroe never stopped, streaking around third while
Escobar held the ball, not bothering to look toward the runner.

His delayed throw home was wild, and it wouldn't have gotten the
speedy Monroe anyway.

Escobar hustled out of the clubhouse after the game without
speaking to reporters, leaving behind his teammates to explain
what happened.

"He was probably assuming (Monroe) couldn't score," Johnson
said. "Usually when you have the ball, you peek in to see where
the runners are."

Matt Capps pitched the ninth for his 14th save, giving up a
two-out homer to Garret Anderson.

Escobar, who had the game-winning hit Tuesday, doubled in the
sixth and came around to score on McCann's towering drive to
left-center. The ball struck the top of the wall, bounced back
into play and was ruled a double by the umpiring crew.

Cox came out to question the call, and three umpires headed down
a tunnel next to the Pirates dugout for the first video review
in Turner Field history. They only needed about a minute to
decide the call was right.

"It was real close, close enough to give it a look," said
McCann, who thought from the crowd's reaction that he had hit a
game-tying homer.

While both teams managed only six hits, the Pirates had plenty
of chances. Atlanta walked seven and hit two batters, but
Pittsburgh left the bases loaded three times.

Brandon Moss comes up twice in those situations, striking out in
the first and grounding out in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Eric
Hinske took a called third strike with the bases full in the
ninth.

Morton got through the first, allowing one hit, but he headed
straight to clubhouse after the inning. The Pirates said his
hamstring tightened before the game and he couldn't pitch
through it.

"It's very disappointing," said Morton, who was listed as day to
day. "I was anxious to get back to Atlanta and get in some
quality innings."

Morton was one of three prospects traded by the Braves last week
for All-Star center fielder Nate McLouth. The right-hander was
called up after Karstens, initially listed as Wednesday's
starter, pitched in relief during Monday's 15-inning loss to the
Braves.

Jurrjens went six innings, giving up four hits and two runs
while striking out seven. This was the sixth time in 13 starts
that Atlanta has scored two runs or less.

"It's just a little frustrating," Jurrjens said. "This was a big
game for us, and we let it get away."

NOTES: The Braves have five three-game winning streaks this
season. ... Greg Norton made his second straight start at first
base for Atlanta and wound up falling over the mound after
leaping to cut off a throw to the plate in the third. ...
LaRoche has reached base safely in 20 of his last 23 games.